Plug-in automatic timing switch mechanism



Jan. 4, 1966 A. M. SALDIVAR 3,227,824

PLUG-IN AUTOMATIC TIMING SWITCH MECHANISM Filed March 18, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v ii film/P65 MART/N152 SALD/ V14"? A TTOR YEXS Jan. 4, 1966 A. M. SALDIVAR 3,227,324

PLUG-IN AUTOMATIC TIMING SWITCH MECHANISM Filed March 18, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ANDRES HART/I762 S41 D/l/A/ ATTOR/XEXS United States Patent 3,227,824 PLUG-IN AUTOMATIC TIMING SWITCH MECHANISM Andrs Martinez Saldivar, Mexico City, Mexico, assignor to Victor Ni'ifiez Cardenas, Mexico City, Mexico Filed Mar. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 265,849 Claims priority, application Mexico, Mar. 22, 1962,

11 Claims. (Cl. 20035) This invention relates to automatic timing switch mechanisms for selectively controlling the supply of an electric current, and more particularly to such mechanisms incorporated in a plug-in device adapted to connect an electric apparatus with an electric current supply.

Many types of electrical equipment and appliances have automatic timing mechanism incorporated therein, but such timing mechanism is complicated and expensive and materially increases the cost of the particular articles. Consequently, the vast majority of such articles do not include an integral timing mechanism. Moreover, such integral timing mechanism is adapted to control'only the particular unit within which it is incorporated. Furthermore, some types of apparatus, such as television receivers, may have remote controls but normally are not provided with automatic timing controls. Consequently, the viewers who like to watch a TV program after they have retired cannot completely relax, knowing that the set will continue to operate until it is manually turned off.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an automatic timing switch mechanism having a minimum of parts and yet capable of accurate timing operation.

It is another object of the invention to provide a mechanism as aforementioned in a unitary structure for connection between a source of electric current supply and an electric apparatus to enable selective automatic control of the operation of the apparatus.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a mechanism of the aforementioned type having simplicity 'of design, economy of construction and efficiency in operation.

Briefly, the present invention comprises a clock actuated switch mechanism enclosed within a housing and including a clock mechanism having a winding shaft, a movably mounted control member having a manually operated external control element and connected with the winding shaft for driving said winding shaft or to be driven thereby when said clock mechanism is wound, electrical conductor means including two spaced normally disconnected contact elements, movably mounted contact means for selectively connecting said contact elements, said control member having a notch therein to receive the contact means to limit movement of said control member in one direction, and said contact means being spring biased toward said control member to seat in said notch and disconnect said conductor elements but being movable into contact therewith upon movement of said control member in the other direction to wind said clock mechanism. Preferably, the conductor means is connected between conductor wires extending through the housing and one part of a separable electric connector that is exposed through one wall of the housing.

Other and more specific objects of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and others will appear in the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plug-in automatic "ice timing switch device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device illustrated in FIG. 1, with parts removed to show inner details;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 4 through 7 are enlarged fragmentary elevational views of modifications of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, specifically to FIGS. 1-3, in accordance with the present invention, a timing switch mechanism comprises a housing 11 having one part 9 of a separable electric connector exposed through one wall thereof, a pair of lead-in wires 10 extending into said housing, and a control member 4 movably mounted in said housing and having a manually operable control element or portion 24 externally of the housing. In this embodiment, the connector part 9 is shown as a pair of prongs of the usual type for insertion into the usual receptacle but, in any event, the connector part 9 and the wires 10 selectively can be connected to a source of electric current and an electric apparatus or appliance whose operation is to be controlled.

Further, in this embodiment, the control member 4 is constituted by a plunger rod 4 reciprocally mounted in a bushing or sleeve 25 opening through one wall of the housing 11, and the external portion 24 of said rod is provided with indicating means consisting of a series of marks or indexing figures, which preferably are graduated in minutes in order to enable the operator to measure the time of operation by pushing the rod inwardly to register one of said marks with the upper edge of the bushing 25, said mark indicating the number of minutes that the device will operate and thereby control operation of the apparatus with which it is associated.

Rod 4 is provided with a series of rack teeth5, FIG. 3, that are intermeshed with the teeth of a pinion 1 fixed on an axle or shaft 2, which is connected to the winding spindle 15 of a clock mechanism 14 within the housing 11. Any clock mechanism can be used as long as the shaft 2 is connected with the winding spindle of the clock mechanism. With the above arrangement, it will be apparent that when the user pushes the rod 4 into the housing 11, the teeth 5 of rod 4 will drive pinion 1 to wind and start the clock mechanism 14 which will operate in accordance with the amount of movement imparted to rod 4.

Electrical conductor means within the housing 11 connect the connect-or part 9 and the wires 10, such means comprising a pair of conductor elements including a solid bar 3 and a split bar including two parts 7 and 8 having spaced adjacent ends 7' and 8 which constitute switch contact portions. The outer end of the conductor part 8 and the corresponding end of the bar 3 may be connected by studs 9' with the connector part 9, and the other ends of the conductor part 7 and bar 3 may be connected t the wires 10 by studs 10'. I

Switch contact means is movably mounted in the housing 11 and, in the present embodiment, this means comprises a reciprocally mounted bolt 6 disposed between the contact portions 7', 8' and carrying an enlarged contact element 6' for engagement with the contact portions 7', 8'. The solid conductor bar 3 may include a bent portion 3' to clear the bolt 6. The bolt 6, and its path of movement, is arranged perpendicularly of the plunger rod 4 and one end 16 of the bolt is inserted through an opening 26 in the bushing 25, and is urged against the rod 4 by a spring 13.

The rod 4 has a notch 12 adjacent its inner end 27 for receiving the end 16 of the bolt 6. The wall of the notch 12 nearest the rod end 27 is disposed perpendicularly of 3 the length of the bolt while the other notch wall is inclined thereto to function as a cam. Similarly, the bolt end 16 is beveled on one side to cooperate with the inclined notch wall. Thus, when the rod 4 is pushed into the housing 11, the inclined notch wall and beveled bolt end 16 cooperate to cam the bolt 6 from the notch 12 and engage the contact element 6 with the contact portions 7', 8 so as to pass current through the switch mechanism and energize the apparatus associated therewith.

Conversely, as the rod 4 is driven by the clock mechanism 14, by means of the pinion 1 and rack 5, the bolt end 16 is resiliently pressed against the rod 4 by the spring 13 so that when the notch 12 registers with the bolt end 16 the latter is driven into the notch to lock the rod 4 against further outward movement and to separate the contact element 6' from the contact portions 7', 8, and thereby deenergize the associated apparatus. The rod 4 may be of insulating material or otherwise insulated from the contact 6.

The clock means 14- may have a dial for properly checking and measuring the time against the graduations of rod 4 and, preferably, these graduations are from to 60 and indicate minutes. Thus, the whole graduation of the rod in the present embodiment provides a period of one hour, and the rack teeth are arranged in such a way that the total number thereof within the graduation from 0 to 60 equals the number of the teeth of the pinion 1 and the area covered by the teeth equals the length to the perimeter of the pinion. Consequently, to give a full turn to the pinion 1, the rod 4 must be pushed into the bushing to register the number 60 with the upper edge of said bushing. When the clock is wound, it will start working and will drive the pinion 1 in the opposite direction, so that, when a full hour has elapsed, the rod 4 will be moved outwardly from the bushing to its original position, whereupon the bolt 6 snaps into the notch 12 and operates the switch to control the apparatus connected thereto.

As can be clearly seen from the above, the clock actuated switch of the present invention provides an accurate control of time when an apparatus is connected thereto. A predetermined period of operation may be exactly and accurately measured by pushing the rod 4 into the bushing until the corresponding mark of the period of time desired registers with the upper edge of the bushing. By releasing the rod 4-, the clock mechanism starts unwinding and the pinion is rotated in the counter direction, so that the rod 4 is gradually moved outwardly from the bushing until it reaches the point where the zero mark registers with the upper edge of the bushing. At this point, the bolt 6 will snap into the notch 12 disconnecting contact portions 7 and 8 so that the apparatus connected with the switch is automatically disconnected and stopped.

This type of switch is very useful for control of television sets, radio receivers, laundry washers and dryers, kitchen appliances, and the like, all of which generally are desired to work for a predetermined period of time, the operation being carried out automatically without attention by the operator.

The clock actuated switch of the present invention, is of very simple construction, and has a minimum of movable parts. Also the connecting and disconnecting function is performed by a simple enlargement on a reciprocal bolt so that at one end of its stroke the enlargement is in contact with the contact portions and the circuit is established, and at the other end of its stroke the enlargement is displaced from the contact portions and the circuit is broken so that the associated apparatus automatically is stopped after an accurately measured period of time.

Obviously, various parts of the hereinbefore described structure can be modified while still retaining the basic advantages of the invention. According to one such modification, as shown in FIG. 4, the control member may comprise a knoblike part 4a mounted directly on and secured to the shaft 2a, as by a set screw 5a, and having a manually operable knob portion 24a. In this instance,

4 both the shaft 2a and the bolt 6a must be longer relative to the housing 11a and extend through openings in a wall thereof.

The inner face of the member 4a is provided with a notch 12a for cooperation with the bolt end 16. In this arrangement, the stop of locking wall or face of the notch is coplanar with and radial of the axis of the shaft 2a, and the inclined notch wall is disposed toward the winding direction of the member 4a. Thus the bolt end 16 will be cammed from the notch when the knob 24a is turned to wind the clock mechanism. The housing wall and member 4a are provided with a graduated scale and cooperative index mark or pointer for determining the number of minutes of operation.

According to another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the control member may comprise a relatively large diameter shaft or barrel 4b rotatably mounted for oscillation in a housing 11b and disposed perpendicularly to the shaft 2b. The member 412 has an external, manually operable knob 24b, is provided with a notch 12b adjacent its inner end for cooperation with the bevelled end 16 of a bolt 6b, and is connected with the shaft 2b by a bevel gear 5b fixed on said barrel and meshing with a bevel gear 1b fixed on said shaft. As in the prior modification, the lock face of the notch 12b is radial of and coplanar with the barrel axis and the inclined notch wall is disposed toward the winding direction, and the housing Wall and knob 2412 may be provided with a graduated scale and index mark.

Whereas the modifications previously described are directed to variations in the structure and arrangement of the control member and its connection with the clock connected shaft, other parts of the apparatus, such as the contact means, are similarly subject of modification. As shown in FIG. 6, for example, in lieu of the enlarged contact element 6' which engages between the contact portions 7, 8', the contact element may comprise a tongue 60 carried by the bolt 6c for lateral abutment against or engagement with the sides of the contact portions 7, 8'.

According to another modification of the contact means, as shown in FIG. 7, the reciprocal bolt can be replaced by a leaf spring 6d mounted in the housing 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the leaf spring 6a is disposed adjacent the bushing 25 and has an end portion 16d extending through the opening 26 for cooperation with the plunger rod 4. The bias of the leaf spring 6d resiliently urges the end portion 16d toward the rod 4 to seat in the notch 12 when the latter is in register with the opening 26. The conductors 7a, 8a are disposed adjacent the leaf spring and have laterally extending contact portions 7a, 8a, for engagement by a contact element 6d carried by the spring.

All of the hereinbefore described modifications encompass only variations with respect to particular parts of the present invention and it will be understood that the basic concept, operation and result remains the same regardless of the particular variation or combination thereof.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that may modifications thereof are possible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A plug-in automatic timing switch mechanism comprising a housing, a clock mechanism in said housing and including a winding spindle, a shaft rotatably mounted in said housing and connected with said winding spindle, a pinion fixed on said shaft, a bushing in said housing, a plunger rod reciprocally mounted in said bushing and including a rack in mesh with said pinion, said plunger rod extending externally of said housing for manually winding said clock mechanism upon movement of said rod in one direction and to be driven in the opposite direction by said clock mechanism when the latter is wound, a separable electric connector plug mounted in said housing and including prongs extending beyond a wall of said housing for efiecting an electrical connection with a receptacle, a pair of electrical conductor elements in said housing and connected at one end with said plug, lead-in wires extending into said housing and connected to the other ends of said conductors for effecting an electrical connection through said housing, one of said conductor elements including two parts separated by a gap and having contact portions at said gap, a bolt reciprocally mounted in said housing and disposed in said gap for movement toward and from said rod, a contact element on said bolt for selectively connecting said contact portions to complete an electric circuit through said conductor elements, a coil spring in said housing and biasing said bolt into engagement with said rod, the end of said bolt engageable with said rod being beveled, said rod having a notch in its periphery adjacent its inner end to receive said bolt end and thereby disconnect said contact element from said contact portions, one wall of said notch being disposed to latchingly engage said bolt to limit movement of said rod when it is driven by said clock mechanism, and the other wall of said notch being inclined relative to said one wall to cam said bolt end from said notch and move said contact element into engagement with said contact portions upon manual movement of said rod in said one direction to wind said clock mechanism.

2. A switch mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said reciprocal plunger rod is provided with graduations, the total of which represents a preselected period of time, and said rack teeth are correlated to said graduations so that when said rod is pushed into said bushing the pinion is rotated to wind said clock mechanism for a selected portion of said period of time according to the degree of introduction of said rod into said bushing.

3. A switch mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said plunger rod is insulated to avoid electrical shocks to the operator.

4. An automatic timer and switch device comprising a clock mechanism having a windingshaft, a movable control element of unitary construction having a manually graspable portion for moving the element, means connecting said control element with said winding shaft for driving the winding shaft and to be driven thereby when said clock mechanism is wound, electrical conductor means including two spaced and fixed contact portions, contact means of rod-like form having a longitudinal axis mounted for axial reciprocal movement and having an intermediate electrical conducting portion for selectively engaging and disengaging said contact portions when the contact means is moved respectively to electrical make and break positions, and biasing means urging said rod-like contact means axially toward one of said positions and into engagement with said control element, said control element having a notch to receive an end portion of said contact means when in said one position and to latch said control element against further movement when driven by the clock mechanism, said notch having a cam face to eject said end portion of said contact means and to move the contact means axially toward said other position upon manual movement of said control member to wind the clock mechanism.

5. An automatic timer and switch device according to claim 4 wherein said control element consists of a single part only.

6. An automatic timer and switch device according to claim 4 wherein said clock mechanism is mounted within a housing, and said control element comprises a rod having said manually graspable portion protruding from the housing.

7. An automatic timer and switch device acording to claim 4 wherein said clock mechanism is mounted within a housing, said control element being a knob outside said housing and secured to said winding shaft to turn the shaft, said notch being disposed in said knob and said end portion of the contact means protruding through an opening in the housing into engagement with said knob.

8. A plug-in automatic timing switch mechanism comprising a housing, a clock mechanism in said housing and including a winding spindle, a shaft rotatably mounted in said housing and connected with said winding spindle, a control member formed as a reciprocable plunger movably mounted relative to said housing and having a manually operated control element externally of said housing, a rack on said plunger and a pinion on said shaft connecting said control member with said shaft for manually winding said clock mechanism upon movement of said control member in one direction and to be driven in the opposite direction by said clock mechanism when the latter is wound, electrical conductor means including spaced contact portions mounted in said housing and having a terminal portion exposed through a wall of said housing for effecting an electrical connection, contact means movably mounted in said housing for selectively connecting and disconnecting said contact portions when respectively moved to electrical make and break positions, said contact means being spring biased into engagement with said control member and toward one of said positions, said control member having a notch therein to receive said contact means in said one position with one wall of said notch being latchingly engaged with said contact means to limit movement of said control member when driven by said clock mechanism, and another wall of said notch being inclined relative to said one wall to cam said contact means from said notch and drive the contact means into said other position upon manual movement of said control member to wind said clock mechanism.

9. A mechanism according to claim 8 comprising cooperative graduated indicating means on said control element and said housing, indicating a preselected time period, and the teeth of said gear means are so related thereto that one complete revolution of said shaft winds UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,831,605 11/1931 Porter 20035 2,097,984 11/1937 Kurek 20035 3,059,485 10/1962 Bohlman et al. 20()153 FOREIGN PATENTS 835,847 4/1952 Germany.

KATHLEEN H. CLAFFY, Primary Examiner. BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Examiner. 

1. A PLUG-IN AUTOMATIC TIMING SWITCH MECHANISM COMPRISING A HOUSING, A CLOCK MECHANISM IN SAID HOUSING AND INCLUDING A WINDING SPINDLE, A SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING AND CONNECTED WITH SAID WINDING SPINDLE, A PINION FIXED ON SAID SHAFT, A BUSHING IN SAID HOUSING, A PLUNGER ROD RECIPROCALLY MOUNTED IN SAID BUSHING AND INCLUDING A RACK IN MESH WITH SAID PINION, SAID PLUNGER ROD EXTENDING EXTERNALLY OF SAID HOUSING FOR MANUALLY WINDING SAID CLOCK MECHANISM UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID ROD IN ONE DIRECTION AND TO BE DRIVEN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION BY SAID CLOCK MECHANISM WHEN THE LATTER IS WOUND, A SEPARABLE ELECTRIC CONNECTOR PLUG MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING AND INCLUDING PRONGS EXTENDING BEYOND A WALL OF SAID HOUSING FOR EFFECTING AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION WITH A RECEPTACLE, A PAIR OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR ELEMENTS IN SAID HOUSING AND CONNECTED AT ONE END WITH SAID PLUG, LEAD-IN WIRES EXTENDING INTO SAID HOUSING AND CONNECTED TO THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID CONDUCTORS FOR EFFECTING AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION THROUGH SAID HOUSING, ONE OF SAID CONDUCTOR ELEMENTS INCLUDING TWO PARTS SEPARATED BY A GAP AND HAVING CONTACT PORTIONS AT SAID GAP, A BOLT RECIPROCALLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING AND DISPOSED IN SAID GAP FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND FROM SAID ROD, A CONTACT ELEMENT ON SAID BOLT FOR SELECTIVELY CONNECTING SAID CONTACT PORTIONS TO COMPLETE AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT THROUGH SAID CONDUCTOR ELEMENTS, A COIL SPRING IN SAID HOUSING AND BIASING SAID BOLT INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ROD, THE END OF SAID BOLT ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID ROD BEING BEVELED, SAID ROD HAVING A NOTCH IN ITS PERIPHERY ADJACENT ITS INNER END TO RECEIVE SAID BOLT END AND THEREBY DISCONNECT SAID CONTACT ELEMENT FROM SAID CONTACT PORTIONS, ONE WALL OF SAID NOTCH BEING DISPOSED TO LATCHINGLY ENGAGE SAID BOLT TO LIMIT MOVEMENT OF SAID ROD WHEN IT IS DRIVEN BY SAID CLOCK MECHANISM, AND THE OTHER WALL OF SAID NOTCH BEING INCLINED RELATIVE TO SAID ONE WALL TO CAM SAID BOLT END FROM SAID NOTCH AND MOVE SAID CONTACT ELEMENT INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CONTACT PORTIONS UPON MANUAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ROD IN SAID ONE DIRECTION TO WIND SAID CLOCK MECHANISM. 